ISOLATED DEFECT IN HUMAN PLACENTAL LACTOGEN SYNTHESIS IN A NORMAL PREGNANCY. CASE REPORT

Abstract. The role of a high CRH level in normal pregnancy remains unknown. Therefore we evaluated the concentrations of CRH and the related hormones in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Fourteen women with pregnancy-induced hypertension, aged 20-39, at 30-39 gestational week, were investigated. The control group consisted of 20 healthy pregnant women matched according to gestational age. Plasma CRH, β-endorphin-like immunoreactivity, cortisol, and human placental lactogen were measured by radioimmunoassay, ACTH by an immunoradiometric method. It was found that in hypertensive patients the mean CRH concentration was significantly higher (4257±840 (sem) ng/l) than that in healthy pregnant women (1083±227 ng/l, p<0.001). The concentration of ACTH, however, was only slightly higher 65.0±6.0 vs 50.7±2.5 ng/l, p<0.025, whereas the differences in β-endorphin, cortisol and human placental lactogen were not significant. In both groups there was no correlation between the CRH level and those of the related hormones. In healthy pregnant women the CRH level closely correlated with gestational age (r=0.76, p<0.001), whereas in patients with hypertension no such correlation was present (r=0.29). We assume that the marked enhancement of plasma CRH in pregnancy-induced hypertension is probably caused by its decreased breakdown in ischemic placental tissue, but its increased synthesis in the placenta and its indirect counterregulatory hypotensive role must also be considered.

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Regulation of maternal IGF-I by placental GH in normal and abnormal human pregnancies

AJP Endocrinology and Metabolism ◽

10.1152/ajpendo.1993.265.4.e572 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 265 (4) ◽

pp. E572-E577 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

A. Caufriez ◽

F. Frankenne ◽

G. Hennen ◽

G. Copinschi

Keyword(s):

Growth Hormone ◽

Normal Pregnancy ◽

Placental Lactogen ◽

Human Placental Lactogen ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Gh Secretion ◽

Factor I ◽

Gestational Period ◽

Pituitary Growth Hormone ◽

Igf I

Throughout gestation, maternal insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) increases progressively despite suppressed pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion. We have previously shown that in normal pregnancy, a specific placental GH variant, rather than human placental lactogen (hPL), substitutes for pituitary GH in the regulation of maternal IGF-I. We studied the maternal IGF-I secretion in a cohort of 286 normal and abnormal pregnancies (617 blood samples). Regardless of pathology and gestational age, IGF-I values correlated with corresponding placental GH but not with hPL values. Similar correlations were evidenced for each 2-wk gestational period between 32 and 39 wk. In pathological pregnancies, when only those hormonal results that are obtained before any treatment are considered and diabetes is excluded, IGF-I levels were closely related to corresponding placental GH, but not to hPL. In women with a fetoplacental unit disorder, low placental GH levels resulted in low IGF-I and in a secondary pituitary GH increase, whereas in patients without detectable impairment of the fetoplacental unit normal placental GH corresponded to normal IGF-I. These results suggest that in pathological as well as in normal pregnancy, placental GH, and not hPL, substitutes for pituitary GH to regulate the maternal IGF-I secretion.

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The Importance of Determining Human Placental Lactogen in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Journal of Medical Biochemistry ◽

10.2478/v10011-009-0003-1 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 97-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jasmina Durković ◽

Bojana Mandić

Keyword(s):

Biochemical Marker ◽

Placental Tissue ◽

Normal Pregnancy ◽

Placental Lactogen ◽

Human Placental Lactogen ◽

Elisa Method ◽

Third Trimester ◽

The Third ◽

Risk Pregnancy ◽

Newborn Child

The Importance of Determining Human Placental Lactogen in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy Human placental lactogen (HPL) is a hormone produced by the placenta with a role in the regulation of fetoplacental growth. In this paper, the results of HPL determination in the third trimester of pregnancy are presented with the aim of testing the sensitivity of this biochemical marker for detecting placental dysfunction, fetal vitality and risk of bad outcome. The tests were performed on 370 women with high-risk pregnancy, between the 20th and 36th week of pregnancy. HPL was determined by an ELISA method using Bioserv Diagnostics tests and the results were read by a STAT-FAX 303+ reader. When compared to normal pregnancy, a significant decrease in the level of HPL biomarker was identified in preeclampsia (p<0.01), whereas in diabetes the serum level of HPL was significantly higher (p<0.01). A significant positive correlation between the level of HPL during pregnancy and the weight of a newborn child, its head circumference and Apgar score was obtained. The results of the research indicate that the maternal concentration of the HPL biomarker is directly connected to the vitality of placental tissue, so that HPL in the third trimester of pregnancy can be used as an indicator of placental insufficiency and fetal vitality.

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Human placental lactogen (hPL) deficiency in a normal pregnancy.

Postgraduate Medical Journal ◽

10.1136/pgmj.60.708.689 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 60 (708) ◽

pp. 689-690 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

O. Giampietro ◽

M. Ferdeghini ◽

P. Scatena

Keyword(s):

Normal Pregnancy ◽

Placental Lactogen ◽

Human Placental Lactogen

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